Need a place to stay?

It’s a common dilemma for every traveler – where to stay in that new and perhaps confusing city? It doesn’t matter if you are there for a few days or a few years, that initial accommodation can leave a lasting impression and has the ability to colour your feelings toward your new, if temporary, home town.

For business travelers, and their employers, the choices can be even more important. If the stay is connected to a short or medium term assignment, having a bad, uncomfortable or even just unimpressive start, can affect the entire project or appointment. Conversely, finding the right accommodation – the home away from home that suits the traveler’s own wants and needs – can help them to hit the ground running and make a stronger, positive impact on their organisation.

For these people, and their local HR, the accommodation choice often comes down to two options: serviced apartment, or a standard hotel. But HR shouldn’t just flip a coin to decide – both platforms offer a range of pros and cons that should be taken into account. Budgets, relationships, cultures, facilities and services all need to be part of the end decision.

What’s the same?

Of course, it’s not all about differences. There are plenty of factors that are the same in both serviced apartments and hotels. As dedicated accommodation providers, both will offer similar locations – most likely strategically positioned near to shops, entertainment and the central business district.

Raphael Saw, Director of Hospitality Operations, Far East Hospitality (which offers both serviced apartments and hotels under its banner) says guests can also count on both types to offer an extensive list of facilities and amenities. “Both our serviced apartments and hotels have amenities such as gyms and swimming pools for our guests,” he says.

In Singapore, tennis courts, restaurants and bars are also commonly featured in both hotels and serviced apartment complexes. While hotels may have more options, both are usually located within range of a wide number of dining choices.

Interestingly for those HR professionals working on relocation budgets, there is also very little difference in the total cost of one or the other. “The price differences between hotel stays and stays in serviced apartments are not significant” Saw says. We are able to appeal to those who are budget conscious as well as those willing to spend.”

And what isn’t?

If short-term flexibility is the order of the day, a hotel room is often the best choice. These are more likely to have availability at short notice; and accept ad-hoc nightly bookings. The best-value rates for serviced apartments typically demand a continuous stay of at least one week or more.

In a hotel, guests will have the front desk concierge at their service 24 hours a day. That can be perfect for travelers with little on-ground support but may not be necessary for business travelers who can access a local network for social and work activities.

Of course, flexibility can also work the other way. A serviced apartment complex will often have a wide range of apartments available – differing according to the number and size of bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces.

Saw says this, along with choices in some furnishings, allows serviced apartment guests to most easily replicate that feeling of home. “A serviced apartment gives guests the ability to simulate their own home environment,” he says. “Some ways include customising their furniture arrangements or preparing meals whenever they choose to do so.”

Indeed, access to kitchens is one of the biggest differences between a serviced apartment and a hotel. The opportunity to cook is one often cited by business travelers when it comes to things they miss from home. Serviced apartments also offer guests the choice of inviting their own friends and family on to the premesis. “Guests who stay with us enjoy the luxury of inviting friends and loved ones for dinner, while this is generally not permitted in hotels,” Saw says. “Our guests settle in so comfortably that they sometimes develop a strong sense of home right here in Singapore.”

And there are always more friends to be made. Another positive aspect of serviced apartment living is the community of expatriates that often goes along with it. Tonya Khong, General Manager of Frasers Hospitality Singapore, says her organisation’s “Fraser Friends” programme is a key selling point.

“This creates a community living experience,” she says. “All in-house residents are welcome to participate in the monthly customised activities based on varying lifestyle pursuits.” With everything from organised sports to pottery classes, serviced apartment complexes will often be proactive in getting their guests interacting with each other, creating more of that home community feeling.

When there’s more than one

You can add all the living space you like, but for many travelers it only feels like home when their families are with them. When it comes to those expatriates arriving with partners and or children in tow, Saw says serviced apartments are typically the most ideal accommodation setting.

“A serviced apartment is an ideal choice for families owing to the fact that they have extra living spaces to spread out in,” he says. “Serviced residences allow children to run around freely and indulge in the playgrounds. Guests who have little children may find it an important necessity.”